As given by Mr. Peter Crichton.
This stamp comes from a sheet of 5 stamps commemorating lighthouses. The stamp shows the Eddystone Lighthouse, Plymouth and a ship called the ATHINA B. However, the photo of the ship is a mirror image with the name back to front. The ATHINA B went aground on Brighton Beach which is a 179 miles drive eastwards from Plymouth
Built as a cargo vessel under yard No 479 by Ujina Zosensho, Hiroshima, Japan for Marutome Kaiun K.K., Japan.
Launched as the KOJIMA MARU.
Tonnage 1,955 grt, 3,468 dwt, dim. 89.72 x 12.81 x 6.67m.
Powered by one 6-cyl. four stroke Akasaka diesel engine, 2,200 bhp., one shaft, speed 12 knots.
1968 Delivered to owners.
1973 Sold to Hai Tien Shipping Co, S.A., Panama, renamed in HUNG WEI.
1976 Sold to Cleoport Shipping Co. S.A., Greece, renamed NINA PA.
1979 Sold to Kleovouslos Shipping Co. S.A., Greece, renamed in ATHINA B.
The ATHINA B was a ship that ended up beached to the east of the Palace Pier in the English seaside resort of Brighton on 21 January 1980. It was a temporary tourist attraction, with the Volk's Electric Railway opening up to cash in on the large number of sightseers. A restaurant in Brighton bears the name of the ship and a painting of ATHINA B by Dennis Roxby Bott is in Brighton Museum. The anchor of the ship is on display on Brighton seafront.
The ATHINA B left the Azores on 11 December 1979 laden with 3,000 tonnes of pumice. Her destination was Shoreham-by-Sea. During the voyage, she had problems with her generator, gyro compass and radar, and put in to La Rochelle in France for repairs. On arrival at Shoreham on 20 January, force 7 or 8 winds meant she was unable to enter harbour. This was not helped by a loss of power from the engines, and a Mayday call was issued. The Shoreham Lifeboat Dorothy and Philip Constance took off half the crew and the captain's family, with the rest being rescued on the morning of 21 January. A total of four attempts were needed to rescue all those on board. The ship drifted eastwards and eventually ran aground to the east of the Palace Pier. The ship broke her back and was declared a write-off.
Coxwain Ken Voice was awarded a RNLI Silver Medal; Crew members Ken Everard, Michael Fox, Peter Huxtable, John Landale, Jack Silverson and Geoff Tugwell were awarded the RNLI's Thanks of the Institution on Vellum; Crew members Peter Everard and Derek Silverson received letters of thanks signed by the director of the RNLI for their part in the rescue of the crew of the ATHINA B.
The wrecked vessel was sold to the Folkenstone salvage company, P.R. Eurosalve, They managed to offload the cargo in four days. A mobile crane was used to remove the cargo, and the ship was guarded by the police to prevent looting.
The ship remained on the beach for a month, before she was eventually refloated on 17 February 1980. She was resold to the River Medway scrap company and towed to a scrapyard at Rainham, Kent, on 21 February 1980, where she was scrapped.
Sao Tome E Principe 2010 2400Db sg?, scott?
Source; Wikipedia. Marine News.